Background

When they were of age, the tribe sent the twins to combat school in order to learn how to counter the Huntsmen. From there, they later enrolled in Beacon Academy and formed Team STRQ with fellow students Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long. Qrow declared them to be the coolest team to ever graduate from Beacon. Sometime during or perhaps before his time at Beacon, Qrow learned of a legendary scythe wielder known as the "Grimm Reaper". Becoming inspired by, and wanting to become just as good as her, he became a scythe wielder too, naming his scythe Harbinger.

According to Taiyang, while they were still students at Beacon Academy, they tricked Qrow into wearing a skirt by claiming it was a kilt. It was his first time wearing a school uniform, and Qrow had no reservations about showing off his legs to the female students.

Following the team's graduation, Qrow became both a maternal and honorary uncle to Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose, who are Taiyang's children with Raven and Summer, respectively. After Summer's death, when Yang took Ruby on a search for Raven, Qrow saved the lives of both his nieces from Beowolves. He also became a teacher at Signal Academy alongside Taiyang.

Qrow at some point in his life would become a part of Ozpin's Group. He and Raven accepted the responsibility of reconnaissance, tracking Salem's forces and searching for the new hosts of Maiden powers when unclear. Along with this, Ozpin gave both twins the ability to turn into birds, and at some point, Raven deserted these responsibilities and returned to the tribe. Qrow however, refused to go back to the tribe with her, seeing as "killers and thieves" and remaining loyal to Ozpin, straining their relationship and causing them to feud ever since.

Eventually, he trained Ruby to become a Huntress, which included instruction on how to use "one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed", Crescent Rose. At some point after instructing Ruby, Qrow resigned from his teaching position at Signal Academy as mentioned in "Welcome to Haven".

Around the events of the "Black" Trailer, he encountered Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black when the three of them ambushed and attacked Amber, the Fall Maiden. Qrow arrived in time before Cinder could fully steal Amber's powers. Because of Emerald's Semblance, Qrow was unable to make out Cinder's face and identity. After the three retreated, Qrow took a weakened Amber to Ozpin's Group.

Vytal Festival Tournament

Qrow makes his first appearance as a 3D model in "New Challengers...". He sits at a bar watching the Vytal Festival Tournament matches and drinking. He is constantly unimpressed by the matches, even calling one a mess. Outside the bar window, he sees an airship transporting Winter Schnee, and states that it is the fight he is there for.

He heads to Beacon grounds, and upon arriving, destroys two Atlesian Knight-200s in Winter's entourage, decapitating one of them. This gets the attention of Winter, who apparently already knows Qrow. Qrow accuses Winter's superior, General Ironwood, of being a sellout and betraying Professor Ozpin. He also mocks Atlas' ability to protect the people.

Qrow fights Winter

Angered by Qrow's accusations and disrespect, Winter draws her sword and attacks him, and he retaliates with Harbinger. The pair then begins to fight in the crowded Beacon courtyard. However, the fight is interrupted by Ironwood, who orders Winter to stand down. Ironwood is shortly followed by Ozpin and Glynda, who ask that Qrow "have a word". Qrow briefly and affectionately greets his niece, Ruby, before leaving with Ozpin and Glynda.

That evening, Ironwood, Winter, Qrow, Glynda and Ozpin meet at Ozpin's office. The meeting is tense, with Winter and Qrow blaming each other for starting the altercation. Ironwood orders Winter to leave, and the remaining four discuss matters of security, and the threat looming in the shadows. Qrow, who has been away for months on a reconnaissance mission, reveals that the mysterious infiltrator who had compromised Beacon is also responsible for Amber's current comatose state and the absence of half her power. He also reveals that he has personally seen some of Salem's creations, and describes them as fear itself.

Qrow also criticizes Ironwood's indiscretion in bringing an enormous fleet of airships to Vale. Ironwood asserts that his forces are necessary and provide a feeling of safety. Ozpin disagrees, however, explaining that the people would interpret the presence of the army as a sign of conflict, spreading concern and fear among the populace – conditions which are likely to cause a resurgence of the Grimm. Ozpin concludes that their next move should be to find a "Guardian" to protect and reassure the populace.

Qrow in Mistral

The next day, Qrow plays video games with Ruby and Yang in Team RWBY's dorm room as he recounts the events of his last mission. Qrow visits a seedy village in Mistral, where he enters a bar full of "low-lifes" and rogue Huntsmen in the employ of "less than reputable people". As Ruby and Yang are enthralled by his story, he abruptly ends it by remarking on the skirt length of the attractive innkeeper. The abrupt end causes Yang to lose against Qrow in the first round of the game, to which she exclaims, "You are the worst!"

When Ruby and Yang remark on their experience, due to their success stopping Roman Torchwick, Qrow calls them naive and notes that they have a lot to learn. After Torchwick's capture, all criminal activity and violence in Vale abruptly stopped, which Qrow finds suspicious. He also reminisces about his time at Beacon and his former team, Team STRQ, which also includes Yang and Ruby's parents. Qrow concludes that they both have a lot to learn before they can call themselves Huntresses.

He returns to Ozpin's office, telling him that Ironwood is making him look like a fool. Ozpin says that the general's heart is in the right place, to which Qrow remarks that he wonders if Ironwood has a heart at all. He asks Ozpin if he has decided on a guardian figure, and Ozpin affirms that it is Pyrrha Nikos.

Qrow remains in Ozpin's office as he holds a lighthearted conversation with Pyrrha. When Pyrrha says she would not have been as successful at Beacon without her teammates, Qrow indicates his belief in the opposite. Clearly uncomfortable to begin with, Pyrrha finally asks who Qrow is. After Ozpin tells Pyrrha that The Story of the Seasons is true, Qrow and the rest of Ozpin's inner circle reveal that it is their job, alongside being headmasters and teachers, to protect the four Maidens. Qrow calls the rules that govern the transfer of their powers "stupid and convoluted". He notes that this transfer must happen quickly, stating that the world is getting closer to a war against Grimm.

Qrow appears in Team RWBY's dorm room, talking to Yang after her matchup with Mercury and the fiasco that followed. After questioning her, he concludes that she was probably crazy, and he sarcastically compares her emotional state to that of Blake's.

After Yang mentions that she saw her mother, Raven Branwen, Qrow confirms her suspicions and proceeds to mention that Raven, his sister, sent Yang a message that he was waiting to tell her at the right time. The message is that Raven saved her once, but she will not save her again the next time she gets in trouble. He also notes that after he was given his most recent assignment, Raven provided him with some information. He says he is willing to help Yang find a means to track her down after he encourages her to move forward from the incident.

After Grimm breach the city following Penny and Pyrrha's match, he visits Ozpin's office with Glynda. Ozpin instructs both of them to fight off the impending horde.

The Battle of Beacon

Qrow fights against creatures of Grimm with Glynda in Vale. In the midst of battle, the AK-200 androids turn their attention away from fighting the Grimm and instead begin to attack him and Glynda. Later, an earthquake occurs, and Qrow sticks his weapon into the ground to keep his balance.

He later takes care of a squadron of Knights before noticing Ironwood on the streets. As he transforms his weapon into a scythe, he immediately growls, charging towards the now-intimidated General, only to attack the Griffon behind Ironwood.

Qrow later clarifies that he knows the rogue Atlesian technology was not Ironwood's doing and proceeds to establish a safe zone in Vale under Ironwood's instructions. He also snarkily comments on the crashing of Ironwood's airship in the streets, stating "It won't be much of a walk".

After helping to evacuate Beacon, Qrow managed to rescue Ruby Rose while she was unconscious and retrieved Ozpin's cane.

Qrow, telling Ruby of her Silver Eye powers

After the incident, he manages to deliver Yang and Ruby to their home in Patch, leaving them in the care of their father, Taiyang. Once Ruby awakes, he explains that Ruby possesses a power that is single-handedly responsible for freezing the Wyvern to the tower and that she is destined to lead the life of a warrior. He then tells her that, with Ozpin missing, he is taking over Ozpin's work for him, going to Haven Academy in Mistral to learn about the conspiracy against Vale.

From a precipice, he sees Ruby and her friends begin the journey to Haven. Holding Ozpin's cane, he jumps out of sight and turns into a bird to keep an eye on the group.

In Anima

Months later, Qrow is seen protecting Ruby and the others from Grimm without their knowledge as they travel to Higanbana. He later sits in a tavern opposite from Team RNJR's inn. There, his twin sister Raven gets his attention by buying him a drink. She criticizes him for leaving the bandit tribe they grew up in, calling them their family. As their leader, she is determined to ensure their survival, even if it means surviving off of others' misfortune. Raven asks Qrow if Salem has "the relic", but Qrow says he does not know and in turn asks her where the Spring Maiden is. Raven refuses to tell him and leaves the tavern by creating a portal with her weapon.

Sometime later, in the shape of a crow, he hurriedly flies towards the group when they fight Tyrian Callows in Oniyuri before reverting to his human form. As Tyrian prepares to stab Ruby with his tail, Qrow quickly shields his niece, holding his weapon behind his back to parry the attack. It quickly becomes clear to Qrow that Tyrian is there to capture Ruby on Salem's orders and a fierce fight begins. The two are evenly matched, but when Ruby joins in Qrow is forced to save her and gets grazed by Tyrian's stinger. Tyrian, in turn, gets his stinger severed by Ruby and is forced to retreat. Wounded and unable to stay upright, Qrow is bombarded with questions by a concerned Team RNJR, who wants to know what is going on. Qrow replies, "What's your favorite fairy tale?"

Qrow, talking about his Semblance

By a campfire that evening, a bandaged Qrow fills Team RNJR in on the tales of the Maidens and the deity brothers. He also reveals that his Semblance of misfortune is the reason why he followed instead of joined them. By morning, purple fluid is seeping out through the wound Tyrian gave him, and Qrow is coughing large amounts of it up as well. Out of it and mumbling about the past, he gets carried by Jaune and Ruby on a makeshift stretcher to the reportedly destroyed town of Kuroyuri. After arriving in Kuroyuri, Ruby and Jaune are unable to find medicine for Qrow.

While he is barely conscious, the Nuckelavee arrives and attacks Team RNJR. When it turns its attention to him, he is rescued and carried away by Jaune, with Ren using his Semblance on the two of them as they get away from the battle. After being set down at a safe distance, he grabs Jaune's hand, about to say something, but he loses consciousness again. After the battle, Qrow wakes to find Ruby at his side. Knowing that she and her friends defeated the Grimm, he congratulates her. He was then carried away on a stretcher to a Mistral airship.

In the city of Mistral, Qrow receives treatment and rests in a room he shares with Ruby.

In Mistral

After making a full recovery, Qrow shows Team RNJR a high view of Mistral and tells them about the city's culture. Afterward, Qrow takes the students to Haven Academy to meet with Professor Leonardo Lionheart. They learn the Grimm attacked Mistral shortly after the Fall of Beacon due to the high levels of negativity and that Lionheart excused the teachers. Qrow becomes infuriated the Relic has been left unguarded. He reveals to the students the association between Maidens and Relics before sharing with everyone that he believes the Spring Maiden is with Raven. The Headmaster insists on waiting before taking action. At a bar that night, Oscar Pine approaches Qrow and asks for the cane on behalf of Ozpin. Qrow returns with him to Team RNJR, drunkenly giddy that he "did it!".

He then watches as Ozpin reveals himself to the students and explains the nature of his existence. When the former Headmaster states they need to protect the Relic of Knowledge, Qrow agrees it is best not to let anyone else know Oscar is the new reincarnation. Ozpin tasks him with enlisting the aid of trustworthy Huntsmen for help.

Qrow starts his search in a restaurant, asking the shop owner for a Huntsman on his list. To his dismay, the owner angrily kicks him out from the Huntsman owing him money. Qrow searches Mistral for the Huntsmen on his list, but none are available. Returning to the restaurant, he pays the owner the Lien the Huntsman owed him. That evening, as Qrow contemplates the missing Huntsmen, Yang and Weiss arrive unexpectedly, surprising him. He takes them to Ruby and watches as the girls happily share a hug of reunion.

Qrow and the students, when his ability to turn into a bird is brought up

Qrow gathers the former Beacon students after they share a meal. Yang prompts Ozpin to talk about his turning the Branwen twins to birds. Qrow quells the ensuing discontent, saying it was their choice to do reconnaissance for Ozpin and that it involved the powers of turning into birds.

One morning, Qrow spots a raven outside the lodging and gives it a suspicious look. He is then summoned by Oscar as Ozpin needed to speak with him. The two of them discuss their current situation with Qrow pointing out the absence of the Huntsmen in Mistral, meaning that they are at a great disadvantage against Salem's forces. Then Ruby appears and asks about the Relic of Choice, with Ozpin assuring her that it is safe and much harder to find than the other three Relics. Suddenly, Qrow receives a call from Lionheart who asks him to come to Haven tomorrow night to discuss the raiding party for the bandit tribe. As Ruby hurries to fetch the others, Qrow and Ozpin share their suspicions about the Haven headmaster.

The Battle of Haven

Qrow vs. Raven

On the night of the full moon, Qrow and the students travel to Haven to meet with Lionheart. He is suspicious of the Headmaster's nervous behavior, but when Yang calls out to her mother, Qrow immediately opens fire, despite Raven being in bird form. Qrow confronts her on her presence and accuses her of holding the Spring Maiden. When Raven confirms this, he demands his sister hand the Maiden over but is refused on the grounds that Salem cannot be defeated. After Ruby's failed attempt to convince Raven to join them, Qrow and the students are ambushed by Cinder's Faction. Upon learning that Lionheart has been working for Salem all along, Qrow realizes that the Haven headmaster allowed Salem's forces to kill off the Huntsmen of Mistral. When Jaune angrily confronts Cinder about the murders she has committed, Qrow tries to calm the students and prevent a fight. His efforts are in vain, however, as Cinder easily provokes Jaune into attacking her. Qrow ends up fighting his sister and tells her that she has crossed the line, ending his family ties with her.

The fight abruptly ends when Oscar is attacked by Hazel Rainart, and Qrow rushes over to save him, though doing so allows Raven to head for the vault with Vernal and Cinder. The pair finds themselves at a great disadvantage with Hazel's immense strength. Things worsen when Lionheart attacks them with his Dust projectiles, and Qrow is punched in the back by Hazel while protecting Oscar, the force of the blow sending him flying across the Grand Hall. Even with Ren's help, Hazel proves to be too much for Qrow and Oscar. After Nora rescues them and knocks Hazel out of the hall, Qrow is left completely exhausted. He rejoins the fight but is shocked by Hazel's sheer willpower. The battle eventually ends when Yang emerges from the vault with the Relic in hand, but the heroes are caught in a giant illusion created by Emerald where they are shown a terrifying version of Salem.

Afterward, Qrow receives the Relic from Yang and learns that Cinder is missing and Vernal is dead. However, his niece gives a vague answer about Raven's disappearance, though Qrow does not question further and remarks they are all glad to see Yang safe. Turning his attention to Oscar, Qrow finds that Ozpin is resting after the exhausting battle. He then receives the Headmaster's message to take the Relic to Atlas. After laying the boy to let him rest, Qrow looks at the Relic as it begins to glow.

Journey to Atlas

Qrow, fighting the Sphinx on his own

Recovering back at the house, Qrow explains to the students that their next move is to travel to Argus, which has the largest Atlas military base. He is confident that the northern kingdom will not abandon it, and believes that they should be able to convince someone to take them north. Qrow is later relieved when Ozpin emerges from his rest and tells everyone about the Relic of Knowledge's abilities, though they cannot use it as the three questions have apparently been used already.

Two weeks following the Battle of Haven, Qrow sends a letter to Ironwood, informing him that he and the Beacon students are on their way to Atlas while giving the official, less than accurate news report on Haven. As he returns to the students, he confronts Dee and Dudley as they try to impress the group to no avail, making fools of them. When they are on the train, Qrow is just about to play a video game with his nieces when Manticore and Sphinx Grimm suddenly attack. During the fight, he becomes upset when Dudley activates the turrets and starts attracting the monsters to the passenger cars.

After tunnel puts a brief pause in the fight, Qrow angrily confronts an injured Dudley about the turrets but is stopped by Ruby, who asks politely. The heroes devise a plan to attract the Grimms' attention away from the passengers, and Ozpin informs them that the monsters are also attracted to the Relic, surprising everyone - including Qrow. Ultimately, Qrow, Oscar and Team RWBY stay in the detached rear cars to fight off the Grimm, while Ren uses his Semblance with Jaune's support to mask the emotions of the passengers in the front cars. In the ensuing fight, Qrow struggles on his own against the Sphinx, but Team RWBY later supports him, and he and Ruby attack together to finish off the Grimm. The Grimm spits a fireball right before its death, which damages the tracks and sends the train crashing into a snowy forest. Maria Calavera, an old woman who was inside the rear cars, exits the train and greets them.

As they recover from the crash, Qrow can only watch the heated argument between Yang and Ozpin, and is stunned when Ruby later summons Jinn from the Relic of Knowledge and briefly looks away in embarrassment. The heroes learn from the being that Ozpin lied to them and that she can still answer two questions. When Qrow speaks up, he is stunned when Weiss, Blake and Yang prepare to fight him, but calmly tells Ruby to do what she believes is right. After Ruby asks Jinn what is it that Ozpin is hiding from them, they are all suddenly separated from one another in a white space. As Jinn answers the question in the form of a story, the heroes find that Salem was once a Human girl locked in a tower.

Jinn goes on to uncover Salem's and Ozpin's pasts, also touching on the gods of Light and Darkness and the origin of the Relics. After Ozpin admits he has no plan to defeat Salem, Qrow is enraged and punches Ozpin into a nearby tree. He opens up about his past, saying nobody except Ozpin wanted him, and he had thought Ozpin gave him a place in this world. His final comment, that meeting Ozpin was the worst luck of his life, had such an effect on Ozpin that the old wizard buried himself deep in Oscar's mind. As the tension rises, Maria directs the group to control their emotions and follow a nearby trail. When Ruby tries to assure Oscar that he is his own person, Qrow coldly stops her by saying that they are better than giving false hope. The heroes then take shelter in Brunswick Farms, despite the fact that the place seemed abandoned.

Nightmare of Brunswick Farms

As they try to enter the main house, Qrow finds the front door locked and warns Team RWBY and Oscar to stay on guard. He then breaks their way through with everyone on high alert. The group then splits to search the house, but they find a pair of decomposed corpses on the bed of the master bedroom. Qrow searches the entire estate and finds that everyone else on the estate suffered the same fate. He then tells Weiss that they have no choice but to spend the night at the house until the storm clears. After Ruby suggests that there should be supplies for them to use, Qrow goes out to do another scout of the area and instructs the others to not go out alone.

Qrow, the depressed watchman

That evening, Qrow makes himself the group's watchman and sees that the storm has let up. As Ruby checks on him, he instructs her to tell everyone else to go to sleep so that they can leave first thing in the morning. However, Qrow drinks three whole bottles of alcohol and falls asleep on the job. He is woken up by the sound of a shattered bottle by Ruby, and he realizes that he missed sunrise. As his niece tries to comfort him over his depression, Qrow brushes her away and goes to wake up the others. As everyone else waits outside, Qrow and Ruby push the flatbed behind Bumblebee to hook them together. But just as they are about to go, Qrow's Semblance flattens one of the tires. Angered at his bad luck, he sits down and watches as most of the others stand against Ruby about getting the Relic of Knowledge to Atlas. Ultimately, Ruby accidentally drops the lamp down the well and insists that she's not leaving without it, and Qrow goes back inside the house to drink more alcohol. He finds the bar and drinks to the point where he passes out on the counter, where he is found by Team RWBY and Maria who were fleeing from the Apathy. After he is woken up by Ruby, Qrow is oblivious to the danger they are in until he is pushed out of the house by Ruby and Weiss and sees the approaching Grimm. The group then get on the fixed flatbed and flee from Brunswick Farms. The group learns from Maria about the Apathy, the demise of the farm estate resident, and that Maria was a silver-eyed warrior.

A Brief Respite

Upon learning that Maria was the legendary Grimm Reaper, Qrow is left astonished and admits his admiration of her, even basing his weapon off of hers. But his praises are shut down by Maria herself, as she calls herself a failure as a Huntress. Suddenly, their conversation is cut by a call from Jaune on Ruby's Scroll, and they later find that they have reached Argus at long last.

The group soon reunites with Team JNR and ride the trolley through the city, eventually meeting Jaune's older sister Saphron Cotta-Arc, her wife Terra Cotta-Arc and their son Adrian Cotta-Arc. At the Cotta-Arc house, when asked by Terra about their mission, Qrow is nudged by Ruby to make up a story about how including students is an extended training mission. He is soon cut off when Team JNR comes back to the living room with dinner.

The next day, Qrow and the group head to the base where the gate closes on them. After he fails to convince the guards with his connections to Ironwood, he presents Weiss and reasons that they are trying to get her home. The group then meets Caroline Cordovin, who only allows Weiss to return to Atlas. When the gate shuts on them again, Qrow walks away to drink, as they lost their only chance to get to Atlas. He later does not pick up his Scroll when Ruby calls him, angering his niece.

Qrow rejects Jaune's proposed idea

By nightfall, Qrow drinks too much alcohol and is left unconscious on the doorsteps of the Cotta-Arc house. He is then found and awakened by Team RWBY and Maria, with Ruby telling him that they have been searching for Oscar. Everyone is later shocked to find Oscar back at the house cooking dinner for them. Inside, Qrow goes up the stairs to be by himself but is stopped by Ruby, insisting that he stays with the group. He then blatantly tells his niece that they are still stuck in Argus with no way of getting to Atlas. After Jaune brings up an idea of stealing a military airship, Qrow quickly rejects it, reasoning that will be facing the Atlas military if they get caught. But his rebuttal is countered by Ruby, who shocks him with her declaration that she does not care what he thinks. After Ruby decides that the group should do things their way, Qrow looks at his niece, who has determination on her face.

The Airship Heist

The group ultimately goes through with Jaune's plan, and Qrow waits on the cliffside with Ruby, Team JNR and Oscar so that they can be picked up by Weiss and Maria. He stands by himself against a tree with a worried look on his face, which raises concern from Ruby. As he had feared, the plan fails with Blake not disabling the radar, and Weiss and Maria are caught by Cordovin. Qrow then starts to emotionally breakdown and blame himself for the trouble they are in and saying that he should not have come along with the group because of his Semblance. But Ruby stands up to him again, saying that they are not his responsibilities. Qrow is left stunned at how grown up his niece has become.

Qrow flies through the air

As the group prepares to fight Cordovin in her Colossus, they decide to use their size and numbers to their advantage to find a weakness in the Colossus, with Qrow using his avian form to search from the air. After saving Ren from falling off, the two discover the shield generator on the back and fire bullets at it, successfully destroying the shields. But as they get on Weiss' Queen Lancer, Cordovin counterattacks and destroys the summon, forcing them to crash land on the cliffside.

As they recover, the group learns from Oscar about the missiles coming out of the cannon and they can detonate them. Qrow expresses concern for Ruby as she jumps onto the airship, and is later horrified when she misses and the ship is hit with a lightning Dust blast, with the rest of the group quickly dodging the blast as it reaches them. When Ruby, Maria and Oscar crash into the trees, Qrow transforms into his avian form to rush over to them. Upon seeing his niece heading towards Cordovin, he grabs her hand and urges her to stop. But after Ruby glares at him and tells him to trust her, Qrow lets her go and confront the Commander. To everyone's shock, Ruby dashes inside the cannon and causes the Dust to explode. As she escapes and falls, Qrow catches his niece with Weiss' aid. The group is later horrified when a Leviathan approaches the city.

The group is reunited with Blake and Yang, and they board the ship to get to the Leviathan. They reach Argus to find the Leviathan breaking through the first city shield. When they fly past the Manticores to try to reach the giant Grimm, Qrow yells that they are too late to stop it and have to pull back as the Leviathan destroys the last city shield. He then watches as Ruby petrifies the Leviathan and Cordovin finishes it off. The group receives permission to go to Atlas as the military fight off the rest of the Grimm.

Qrow stops himself from drinking

Later that night, Qrow praises Ruby for her feats back in Argus and is about to take a drink from his flask. But he stops himself and receives a hug and an “I love you” from his niece. When Maria compliments him, Qrow admits that the students did all the heavy lifting, with her replying that he was there for them when they fell. He then informs everyone when they reached Atlas, saying that they should take a look at the site of the city. As everyone is mesmerized, the mood turns sour when they see the Atlas air fleet surrounding the floating city. Qrow comments that they look like they are expecting an attack before they are greeted by air control.